


Limping In On a Broken Wing

by angelskuuipo



Series: Fic-A-Palooza 2009 [2]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Early Work, First Meetings, Friendship, GFY, Gen, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-13
Updated: 2014-06-13
Packaged: 2018-02-04 10:35:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1775995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelskuuipo/pseuds/angelskuuipo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He saved her first, but she saved him, too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Limping In On a Broken Wing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Velvetwhip (Gabrielle)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gabrielle/gifts).



> Prompt: Willow/Angel _before_ Buffy came to Sunnydale  
>  Written for the incomparable [](http://velvetwhip.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://velvetwhip.livejournal.com/)**velvetwhip** in honor of my Fifth Writing Anniversary. I hope you like this, hon! Thanks be to Shannon and Midnight for the betas.
> 
> Originally posted 2-8-09.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

No one noticed when Willow Rosenberg disappeared.

Her parents assumed she was just finally exhibiting rebellious teenage behaviour and would show up before they went back to Sunnydale in time for her to start her sophomore year of high school. They never filed a missing person’s report.

Her best friends, Xander and Jesse, assumed she was having too much fun in New York City to write to them. They wished her well and hoped she had some neat stories to share when they next saw her.

As for what really happened to Willow? Well, she discovered a whole new world…

~*~

Willow wandered the Lower Eastside, nibbling her lip nervously. She’d gotten separated from the tour group her parents had dumped her in. That didn’t really bother her. She’d had more fun exploring on her own than she ever could with that group. She had nothing in common with any of them, save her age. No, the problem was that it was getting close to midnight and she wasn’t sure how to get back to the hotel. If worse came to worse she could always get a cab, but she didn’t want to spend the money if she could avoid it. There was this really pretty statuette at the MMOA gift shop that she was hoping to get and she needed to save what she could. She’d rather pay cash than use the shiny new credit card her parents had given her.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t notice the group of young men walking towards her. They were drunk and laughing, pushing each other back and forth. She felt them, though, when one of the guys stumbled into her. She cried out as she lost her balance and fell into the street. Her head hit the bumper of one of the cars parked on the curb and she was disoriented when she finally got her feet under her. The guy who’d pushed her and his friends didn’t stick around.

Willow blinked, trying to focus, and felt something warm and wet on her face. She swayed on her feet and staggered a few paces. Unfortunately, that took her into oncoming traffic. The blare of horns and the bright lights only served to confuse her further and she stood, immobile, as a cab bore down on her.

Then she was flying, or it felt like flying. She could feel wind against her face and her feet weren’t touching the ground. She would have enjoyed the trip if she weren’t feeling so dizzy and nauseous. When she came to a stop, she realized that someone was holding her. She looked up, but her vision was fuzzy and the shadows were too deep. She thought she saw a glint of gold where eyes were supposed to be, but couldn’t be sure. She also thought she saw a halo. That made her smile. She’d always liked angels.

“Thank you, my guardian angel,” she murmured just before she passed out.

~*~

Angel studied the unconscious girl in his arms. He wasn’t sure why he’d saved her. No. That wasn’t true. He knew why; he just didn’t want to admit it. The blood still trickling down her face called to him like nothing else. He couldn’t resist the sweet temptation and bent his head to hers. The scent was intoxicating and the taste…sweet Circe, the taste was damn near indescribable. Innocence. Magic. Potential…and a dark edge that could only be the influence of a Hellmouth. That last bit surprised him and he made a decision. As much as he wanted to rush, he made himself savour this forbidden treat.

With little cat-licks, Angel cleaned the girl’s face. His eyes rolled back into his head at the flavour. The rats he’d been living on…he didn’t think he’d be able to go back to them after this. There was nothing like human blood and he realized he’d been fooling himself thinking he could ever be satisfied with anything else. He lingered over the actual cut above her eyebrow, sucking lightly to draw out as much of the sweet ambrosia as he could. He was determined not to drain her, though, so when the blood finally stopped flowing he forced himself to just lick the cut closed.

Angel stayed there, bent over this temptation, and just breathed her in for a few long moments. He checked her vitals. Her heartbeat was strong and steady. The light was too poor to check her eyes to see if she had a concussion, but he thought it was a good possibility that she had a mild one. Slowly, sounds and other stimulation started to filter into his dazed brain and he realized that they were pretty vulnerable in the alley. He needed to take her somewhere safe, but where? He had no money on him. Steeling himself, he moved deeper into the shadows and searched the girl’s pockets.

He found a wallet and a key and pulled them both out. The wallet produced a California State ID that identified the girl as Willow Rosenberg of Sunnydale. Sunnydale. He knew he’d tasted the taint of a Hellmouth on her. She was fifteen. Good God, what was a fifteen year old girl doing wandering around alone in New York City at midnight? From the look of her clothes she wasn’t a runaway. Putting that thought aside for a moment, he went through the rest of the wallet. There were a few pictures of a younger Willow with two dark haired boys, but none showing any with adults. There was also a credit card and about a hundred and fifty dollars in cash. He closed the wallet and tucked it back into the pocket of her skirt. Studying the key, he saw it was to a room at the Bellmont.

She was quite a ways from her hotel.

Not knowing what else to do, Angel adjusted her limp form in his arms and started uptown. He kept to the shadows, having plenty of experience in remaining unnoticed. Within an hour he was slipping through a maintenance entrance at her hotel and carrying her up to the tenth floor. She hadn’t stirred the entire trip.

When he got to her room, he listened for her parents, but heard nothing. Satisfied the room was empty he unlocked the door and carried her in. It took no time at all to realize that she had the room to herself. Was she actually here by herself, or had her parents booked her a room of her own?

Angel laid her out on the bed and turned on the light. He should go, but couldn’t quite bring himself to do so. He studied the girl. She was pretty, or would be in a few years. Right now, he’d say she was cute. Her clothes, on the other hand, were hideous. Why in God’s name would anyone wear a sweater that garish? And the skirt and tights with trainers? Her ID had listed her age as fifteen, and looking at her in decent light Angel believed that, but she dressed like a child. It wasn’t right.

Willow’s long hair spilled over the pillow in a crimson wave, reminding him of the sweet blood he’d tasted not so long ago. He ached to taste her again, but steeled himself. He’d already transgressed once. He wouldn’t do so again.

His demon snorted in his head and Angel grimaced. Yeah, he didn’t really believe himself either.

Resolutely, he turned away from the unconscious girl and studied the room. There was a connecting door and he tried it; was surprised when it opened. He guessed her parents were staying in this one, but it was currently empty. His demon whispered a suggestion that he couldn’t ignore. Slowly, Angel entered the room and went to the closet. He eyed the clothes on one side and eventually pulled off a dark sweater and a pair of jeans. He wasn’t sure if they would fit, but he’d give it a try.

He carried the clothes back to Willow’s room, closing and locking the connecting door firmly behind him. He checked on her again, lifting her eyelids and was satisfied that her pupils were even and reacting to the light. He smiled slightly. Her eyes were a very nice shade of green. It looked like she’d slipped into a more normal sleep. Not knowing what possessed him Angel gently kissed her forehead then went into the bathroom.

The water felt heavenly. It had been so long since he felt clean. He hated giving into this demon, but he had to agree this was a good idea. He emptied the hotel provided bottles of shampoo and conditioner, and completely used up the little bar of soap. Once he was clean he just let the hot water pound down on him. Things he’d avoided thinking about for years made themselves known again and Angel knew he was at a crossroads.

He wanted to blame Willow for bringing him to this place, but the girl was innocent. It wasn’t like she’d planned to be pushed into traffic, or get hurt. Saving her was just a catalyst. He should leave before she woke up, but something inside him balked at that. He wanted to hear her voice again. She’d called him a guardian angel. He snickered at that. If she only knew.

Angel caught a faint change in her heartbeat over the pounding of the spray and he turned off the shower. He dried off quickly and got dressed. The sweater was tight across the shoulders and the jeans were a couple of inches too short, but they fit in the waist. He needed to make some calls and in a couple of days he would have properly fitting clothes. In the meantime, these would have to do.

He ran the towel over his head one more time then set it aside. Taking an unnecessary breath, Angel prepared to face the girl he’d saved.

~*~

Her head felt big.

Willow frowned as she woke up, wondering when she’d fallen asleep. The last thing she remembered was walking down…some street that she couldn’t remember the name of. She didn’t hear any traffic, so she was obviously inside, but she couldn’t remember how she’d gotten there, or where exactly ‘there’ was.

She cracked an eye open, but shut it quickly as the light blinded her. Lord, but her head hurt. She shaded her eyes with her hand and opened one again. It took a couple of blinks for her eyes to focus, but when they did she was surprised to find herself in her hotel room.

She was confused.

Her hand brushed her face and she winced as her fingers came in contact with a bump on her temple. She scrunched up her nose as she tried to recall what had happened. Vague flashes of falling and bright lights and loud horns assaulted her and she shied away from the thoughts. The last image was of an angel looking down at her with golden eyes. That one she didn’t mind so much.

Before she could really work herself into a panic the door to her bathroom opened and a man she had never met before walked out. She sat there on her bed, gaping at the stranger. He was beautiful, if in need of a haircut, was the first thought her mind supplied. The second was that his clothes didn’t fit him well and they looked really familiar. The third, and probably most important thought, was that he didn’t belong in her room.

“Wh-who are you?” Willow asked nervously.

The man stared at her for a long moment before answering. “My name is Angel.”

Oh, his voice was nice. Willow shook her head a little and regretted the action immediately. She moaned in pain and swallowed against the urge to be sick. He was at her side in an instant, pressing a cool cloth to her head. It felt nice, as did his fingers as they brushed her hair away from her face.

“Careful, Willow. You took a pretty nasty bump to the head. Don’t make any sudden movements,” he said softly.

She frowned again even as she leaned into his touch. “How do you know my name?”

“It was on your ID.” She looked at him warily and he explained. “You got knocked into the street and hit your head. I saved you from getting run over. You passed out and I had to go through your pockets to find out who you were. I apologize for taking such liberties, but I wanted to get you somewhere safe.”

Willow mulled that over. It made sense. She wanted to check her wallet to make sure all her things were still there, but that would be rude with him watching. Instead she said the first thing that popped into her head. “Are you wearing my father’s clothes?”

Angel ducked his head and looked away, but eventually nodded. She thought he might have blushed, but couldn’t really tell. It was odd. He was very pale. Thin too. Now that she really studied him, he looked like he hadn’t had a decent meal in months.

“Are you homeless?” she asked then slapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh! I’m so sorry. It’s none of my business. It’s just you’re wearing my dad’s clothes and they don’t fit you right and you look like you haven’t been eating well and I just can’t imagine why you’d take a stranger’s clothes unless you didn’t have any others of you own. Ple-“ Willow fell silent when Angel placed a cool finger over her lips.

“Breathe, Willow,” he instructed. There was a slight smile on his face and he was looking at her like she was a unique and exotic artifact in a museum. No one had ever looked at her like she was interesting before. It made her nervous.

“Yes, I am homeless, but not for long. I did borrow your father’s clothes, but I plan to return them as soon as I get some new ones of my own. No, I haven’t been eating well, but I plan to change that. I just need to figure out how and still be able to live with myself.” He trailed off into silence and a faraway look came over his handsome face.

Angel’s finger was still on Willow’s lips and she hesitantly brought her hand up and wrapped it around his wrist and gently lowered it. His skin was cool to the touch and she absently pressed her fingers into the resilient flesh. Something wasn’t quite right. Her brow furrowed and she moved her fingers again. Angel had gone very still. She looked up slowly. “You have no pulse,” she whispered.

She saw panic flare in his eyes before it was masked. “No, I don’t,” he said calmly.

“Are you really an angel? I remember seeing one before I passed out, but it had gold eyes. Was that you?”

He seemed to consider his answer then said, “It was me, but I’m no angel. I’m as far from heaven as you can get.” Then he… _changed_. Ridges formed on his brow and cheeks, his eyes went from dark brown to golden, and his teeth became jagged with elongated fangs where the canines used to be.

Willow sucked in a breath and dropped his hand, scooting back until she was pressed against the headboard. He…he…she had seen something like him before in Sunnydale. “What are you?” She was surprised how calm her voice sounded.

“I’m a vampire.”

Willow nodded. A vampire. Of course. What else would he be? A little bubble of laughter tried to work its way out, but she held it back. If she started, she wasn’t sure she would stop. All those stories at home of injuries with barbeque forks made so much more sense now. He didn’t seem inclined to bite her though. She looked at him warily and moved slowly closer. He stayed still, even when she lifted her hand and touched his face. He did close his eyes, however, when she stroked the ridges. A stuttering purr started in his chest and she paused in surprise before continuing her exploration. The ridges were hard, but had a little give like cartilage. Her fingers trailed down to Angel’s mouth, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to touch his teeth. That just seemed too intimate.

“Wow,” she whispered.

Angel opened his eyes and shook his demon away. Willow was staring at him in wide-eyed wonder. “You’re not scared?” he asked incredulously.

She shrugged. “Should I be? You had plenty of opportunity to hurt me while I was unconscious and you didn’t. You saved my life. That makes you one of the good guys in my book.”

He gaped at her and her lips twitched. “I’m guessing I’m not reacting like you expected, huh?”

His mouth snapped shut and he looked embarrassed. “Not really.”

“I know I should be freaking out, but I feel safe with you, Angel.” She huffed out a small laugh. “Is Angel your real name?”

He shrugged. “My given name is Liam, but I’ve not gone by that for centuries. My sire gave me the name Angelus, but after…” he trailed off and Willow thought he wasn’t going to speak anymore, which made her very curious, but then he continued. “I’ve gone by Angel for the last few decades.”

She smiled at him and he hesitantly returned it. She held out her hand. “Hi, Angel. I’m Willow Rosenberg. It’s nice to meet you.” He shook her hand and the way he looked at her…Willow decided she was going to help this man somehow. He was wounded in spirit. She wasn’t sure how she knew that, but she did. Yes, she would help him. Whatever he needed.

~*~

Angel was reeling. Willow Rosenberg was unlike any human he’d ever encountered, except for maybe William. He shied away from the thought of his childe. He was dealing with enough right now without bringing that old pain up, but with Willow cleaning up in the bathroom there wasn’t really anything to distract him. He tried turning on the television, but it was late and the infomercials held no appeal so he turned it off. Desperate for something to do he prowled the room and came across a book on the history of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

His eyebrows rose in surprise, but he picked up the book. It didn’t seem like something a fifteen year old girl would be interested in, but then he hadn’t spent much time around people let alone teenagers in longer than he cared to remember.

He settled into a chair with the book and had gotten through a chapter and a half when Willow came out of the bathroom dressed in a pair of blue flannel pajamas with fluffy white clouds on them. They swallowed her and Angel cringed. He might have been living on the street for the last decade and change, but his sense of style was severely offended. The girl was too attractive to dress the way she did. He’d have to change that. He blinked at that, at the thought that he and Willow would spend more than this night together.

She twisted her hands together, as if she wasn’t sure what to do. Angel wasn’t either. He was very out of practice in being around people. He put the book down. “You look better,” he said when the silence had gone on too long.

She gave him a crooked smile. He liked that. It made her eyes sparkle. “I feel better. Painkillers and a shower are wonderful things.” She made her way over to the couch and sat down, pulling her feet up and tucking them beneath her. She bit her lip and he could see there was something she was working up the courage to say. He didn’t have long to wait. “You’re not like other vampires, are you?”

Ask an easy question, why don’t you, he thought. Angel shook his head. “No, I’m not. I was cursed with a soul by gypsies about a hundred years ago.” He couldn’t understand why it was so easy for him to talk to this little human girl. Things he had never shared with anyone just flew out of his mouth. It was disconcerting.

Her mouth was opening and closing like a little fish. It almost made him smile. Finally, she said, “That is…this is a lot to take in. I can’t imagine what it’s been like for you. I mean, I don’t know much about vampires, but I’m guessing you’re normally big with the killing and the mayhem. Considering the size of our Obit section in the paper at home, it makes sense. How does having a soul affect you?”

There was nothing but honest curiosity in her eyes. She really wanted to know and Angel found himself wanting to share. “It’s…hard, so very, very hard. I remember everything I did before I was cursed. I was one of the most vicious creatures ever created. The things I did…the guilt…sometimes I’m amazed that I just haven’t given up and greeted the sun. I don’t feed on humans anymore. Animals sustain me, but as you pointed out, I’ve not been eating well. I…I…” he trailed off for a moment before he took a deep breath and met her eyes, “I tasted your blood tonight, Willow. You were bleeding from the cut on your forehead and I couldn’t help myself. Your blood…it was delicious.”

He watched her take it all in, could see the wheels turning. Her nose wrinkled a little, but he saw no disgust. Her next words floored him. “Why do you feel guilty for things you had nothing to do with?”

He blinked at her then held up his hands. “These hands…this body cut a swath of destruction through Europe that is still talked about to this day. How can I not feel guilty for doing that?”

Willow leaned forward. “But you didn’t do it, Angel, did you? Were you in that body when all those things happened?”

“No,” he said slowly. He thought back to when he’d first been forced back into his body. His last memory had been of meeting Darla in that alley and the pain of dying. Then…there was peace. He’d had no worries, no fears. There had been nothing but the feeling of rest and of good. He’d been ripped away from that peaceful void with a suddenness that had left him raw and aching and then he’d been assaulted by visions so heinous that he’d tried to curl into a ball and hide, but he couldn’t. He’d had to defend himself from a monster, a battle that still raged to this day. He looked at Willow and whatever she saw on his face had her off the couch and wrapping him in her arms.

The first sob caught him by surprise, and then he was crying like he never had before. All that time…all the pain…it wasn’t his fault. He had no idea how much time had passed ‘til he’d cried himself out in Willow’s arms, but her soothing hand stroking his hair and the soft murmur of her voice eventually calmed him. He pulled away from where he’d buried his face in her neck and wiped at his eyes, embarrassed. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

“Don’t apologize,” she said softly. Her voice sounded a little thick and he steeled himself to look up. It looked like she’d been crying too.

He raised his hand and wiped a tear away from her soft cheek. She blushed and he smiled. “Thank you, Willow.”

“For what?”

“For helping me see.”

She looked like she didn’t really understand and he wasn’t certain he could explain it, wasn’t certain he truly understood what he meant either, but she just gave him another crooked smile and said, “You’re welcome, Angel.”

Willow slid off his lap and resumed her seat on the couch. She looked at him intently then asked, “You’ve been hiding from the world for a long time, haven’t you?”

He nodded, but didn’t say anything.

“Are you ready to stop hiding?”

He thought about it. Hadn’t he been having similar thoughts earlier? “Yes. I think I am.”

“Want some help?”

He looked at her in surprise. “What?”

Willow looked nervous, but determined. “There’s a lot of new stuff out there. I’d imagine it’d be pretty overwhelming to try re-acclimating on your own. I’ve got nothing to do until September. So…you want some help?”

She looked so hopeful and he really could use the help, but…“What about your parents?”

She sniffed. “They won’t notice. They never do.” She looked at him steadily. “I want to help you, Angel.”

He was curious; more so than he’d been in a very long time, but it looked like he’d have plenty of time to solve the mystery of Willow Rosenberg. “I’d be honoured to have your company, Willow.”

Her smile was like the sun breaking through the clouds. She bounced on her seat and made a little noise that made him want to laugh. “Excellent! Where do you want to start?”

He looked at the clock he could see near the bed. It was almost four in the morning. “I think you need to get some sleep and I need to find some shelter. But later, I’ll make some calls, get some cash around. Then you and I are going shopping.”

Willow didn’t even blink. “Stay here, Angel. My parents are in the Hamptons for the next week. You can stay in their room.”

“I…thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” She yawned then and seemed surprised. “I guess I am a little tired.”

“Well, you’ve had a busy night,” he pointed out.

She nodded, her eyes drooping. It was like watching the air leak out of a balloon. “Sleepy now,” she mumbled.

Angel smiled and stood. He picked her up effortlessly and she snuggled into his chest. He got the covers pulled back and settled her in the bed. Like he’d done earlier, he brushed her hair away from her face and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Sleep well, Willow.”

“Mmm. You too, my guardian angel,” she murmured. Then she was asleep.

Angel turned off the light and made sure her room was secure before he went through the connecting door to her parent’s empty room. He was feeling a little out of sorts, but that wasn’t really surprising. It wasn’t every day one’s life got turned on its head.

Willow had called him a guardian angel, but he thought she had it backwards.

-30-


End file.
